Chapter 00185: A Kindred Spirit
# A Kindred Spirit
Chapter 185
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 185: A Kindred Spirit
"Cut!"
"Zhang Tielin, you did well. Li Jianqun, you didn't quite capture the fear. You need to show both struggle and terror. Your movements were a bit stiff just now; all that was left was tension."
"Let's do it again!"
After a few more takes, Yang Jie felt it was good enough and moved on to the next scene.
Zhan Zhan burst through the door, quickly dealt with the lecherous innkeeper, tied him up, and sent him off to the authorities.
The action choreography was handled by Wang Qun.
Despite having only worked on one production before, he was far more skilled than most.
He borrowed some moves from *Tai Chi* and made them look quite convincing.
Chen Qi watched for a while.
Wang Qun's performance was decent, solid but not outstanding.
Li Jianqun lacked experience, but then again, she wasn't known for her acting skills.
As long as she passed, it was fine.
The key was that Yang Jie really knew her stuff.
At the time, many people didn't know how to shoot TV dramas and used film techniques instead, shooting one scene a day and taking a month to finish one episode.
Yang Jie was much more experienced.
The six-episode *Judge Bao* was planned to take three months to complete.
One month in the studio, two months on location.
If post-production went smoothly, it could air by the end of the year.
"Speaking of which, TV dramas are also a great way to earn foreign exchange. It's a pity the scale is too small to focus on right now. We'll have to wait until the Four Great Classics are adapted."
Domestic TV dramas were just starting out back then, and the overall quality wasn't high, except for adaptations of classic literature.
For example, *Journey to the West* was exported to Buddhist countries in the south.
People there would bow to the TV, and Nepal even wrote a letter to Buddha, asking him to return to his homeland...
The actor who played Buddha, Zhu Longguang, was also known for his role as Gao Chuanbao in *Tunnel Warfare* and as Tong Xiangyu's father in *My Own Swordsman*.
And then there was Zuo Dafen, who played Guanyin.
Her image was used in temple paintings and sold as Guanyin statues.
To put it simply, aside from *Water Margin*, *Journey to the West*, *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, and *Dream of the Red Chamber* set the artistic standards for characters like Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, Guan Yu, Zhuge Liang, Jia Baoyu, and Lin Daiyu for decades to come.
"I'm going out to buy some things. What do you need?"
"Get some meat, and maybe some snacks and candy. Oh, and if they have Shanghai Lifeng beef jerky, grab some if you can."
"Alright, I'm off."
Chen Qi didn't stay long.
After whispering a few words to Gong Xue, he left the studio and headed straight for the Overseas Chinese Store in Xidan.
He had received 30,000 Hong Kong dollars from the Yuan brothers as payment for his script.
With the surplus of foreign exchange certificates and the building materials he still hadn't used up, he was set.
Once he started submitting work to the U.
S., he'd be earning real dollars.
In other words, not only could his company earn foreign currency, but he could too.
Both the collective and the individual were thriving.
…………
That evening.
Chen Qi led Wang Qun, Li Jianqun, Yang Jie, and Wang Chongqiu to the back of the building.
They walked through a long, dimly lit corridor until they heard the sizzling sound of food cooking and the mouthwatering aroma.
Gong Xue was busy stir-frying, while Gong Ying helped out.
"You're here! Come on in. Xiao Chen, help me entertain them!"
"Sure!"
Under the intense gaze of the four, Chen Qi remained unfazed and ushered them inside.
"Find a seat if you can. The room's a bit small, but I just bought these stools a couple of days ago."
"Will there be enough space to eat?" Wang Qun asked.
"Two tables. We'll set up a small one on the bed and a bigger one on the floor... Come on, bring over those newspapers!"
Chen Qi lifted half of the bedding, spread out some newspapers, and placed a small square table on top.
He then poured water for everyone and brought out the beef jerky.
"I bought this at the Overseas Chinese Store. Give it a try!"
"Shanghai Lifeng? I studied in Shanghai and never got to try it. I only heard about it."
Li Jianqun took a piece without hesitation.
Her pearly white teeth bit into the jerky, and the beauty mark at the corner of her lips became especially noticeable as she chewed.
Chen Qi couldn't help but wonder.
Shouldn't people's teeth be in worse shape these days? How come I keep meeting people with such clean, straight teeth?
Seeing this, Yang Jie sighed.
"You're really going all out. I thought it was just a simple meal. If I'd known, I wouldn't have come. I see there's even spare ribs in the pot!"
"Ah, since you're already here, it'd be a waste not to eat, right?"
Chen Qi peeled off a piece of beef jerky and handed it to the old lady.
Yang Jie had no choice but to try it.
Beef jerky was a luxury snack, made from beef shank.
In a time when even eating meat was difficult, eating beef jerky was practically a capitalist act.
As they chatted, the cooking continued outside.
Li Jianqun was also quite envious of the room.
The Beijing Film Studio had only moved here a few years ago, so the buildings were new, with white walls and heating.
Gong Xue loved cleanliness and gardening, so the place was beautifully decorated.
She looked around and noticed a traditional Chinese ink painting of orchids on the desk.
"..."
She tilted her head, studying it for a while, then stepped outside and offered, "Sister Gong Xue, let me help you."
"No, no, you're a guest."
"It's fine. I can cook too. An extra pair of hands will speed things up... Should I wash this vegetable?"
"Ah, that's great! I'm free now!"
Gong Ying quickly made her escape.
Li Jianqun washed a bunch of greens and asked, "Should I cut them?"
"Really, you don't have to... Well, if you insist, just cut them into sections. Thank you."
Li Jianqun deftly chopped the greens, placed them on a plate, and handed it over.
Gong Xue poured them into the wok and began stir-frying.
The Shanghainese girl was precise in her actions—five stirs for a Shanghainese, six for someone from northern Jiangsu, hmm...
When the dish was almost done, she reached for the sugar jar and habitually scooped some sugar.
Just as she was about to add it, she suddenly stopped and stuck out her tongue.
"That was close! I almost forgot again!"
"They don't eat sugar, right?" Li Jianqun laughed.
"No, they don't. So, where are you from?"
"Wuhan."
"What do people in Wuhan like to eat?"
"Lots of things—bean skin, bean threads, river delicacies, lotus root. We eat lotus root all year round, and we love spicy food."
"You must have had a hard time adjusting to Shanghai!"
Gong Xue looked at her sympathetically.
Li Jianqun nodded vigorously.
"It was tough at first, but I've gotten used to it now. My taste is mixed; I can eat a bit of everything... Let me help you carry this inside."
She brought the stir-fried greens into the room, then returned and smiled.
"Sister Gong Xue, your orchid painting is really beautiful."
"I just dabble. I heard from Xiao Ying that you're good at oil painting?"
"I just dabble too. I studied art, but I'm not very skilled. It's just for fun."
"My mother is a professional artist. I'm not even a third as good as her. You're being modest. I'd love to see your work sometime."
The two hit it off, chatting away.
Soon, the main dish—spare ribs—was ready, and they all sat down to eat.
The room was really too small.
It was awkward for others to sit on the bed, so Gong Ying ate there while Wang Qun stood, reaching for dishes from both ends.
As per tradition, someone had to say a few words.
Gong Xue didn't like such occasions, but for her sister's sake, she stepped up.
After a few polite and well-measured words, Yang Jie understood.
All this fuss was because Gong Ying was in the crew and they wanted her to look after her.
In truth, she was quite satisfied with Gong Ying.
She wasn't a great beauty, but she had delicate features, was obedient, and worked hard.
That was enough.
Chen Qi, however, asked, "Director Yang, I heard your station is planning to adapt the Four Great Classics?"
"How did you know?"
"I overheard Director Wang mention it the other day."
"Oh, that's the idea, but it's not confirmed yet. Adapting classics is no small matter. The script, funding, personnel, and time all need careful consideration. If it were up to me, I'd want to do *Dream of the Red Chamber*. I've been reading it since I was a child."
Too bad you won't be directing it.
You'll be doing *Journey to the West* instead!
"If there's any news, let me know. I'd love to volunteer to write the script!"
"Ah, that'd be great!"
Yang Jie was both surprised and delighted.
This guy was currently the hottest screenwriter in the country.
"It's a deal then. I'll definitely let you know!"
Gong Xue gave him a curious look.
Usually so laid-back, why was he being so proactive now?
Chen Qi shrugged.
Come on! It's the Four Great Classics! It's like checking off a travel bucket list—of course, I want to be involved.
And as for *Journey to the West*, I could write that script with my eyes closed.
No effort at all.
As for *Dream of the Red Chamber*, I'll leave that to Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai to sort out their lovey-dovey drama...
…………
After the meal, everyone dispersed.
Gong Ying stayed behind.
"Sis, what do you think of Jianqun?"
"She seems cultured and refined, a girl with a good head on her shoulders. We got along well. I don't know much about her personality, but she seems nice."
"Right? But no matter how nice she is, she's not as nice as you..."
Gong Ying wasn't stupid.
She knew today's gathering was all for her sake.
She sighed, "You, who hate socializing so much, actually spoke up at the dinner table. I'm really touched. I'll tell Mom and Dad how great you were."
Gong Xue rolled her eyes, too lazy to respond.
Gong Ying clung to her arm, pestering her.
"Sis, I want to be a professional actress. Do you think there's a way?"
"You want to join the studio?"
"I don't know. I just want to act."
"As a newcomer, I can't just recommend you to the studio. What would I say to the director?"
Gong Xue didn't want to trouble Chen Qi too much.
"Finish *Judge Bao* first. I'll see if there are any roles I can recommend you for. The more you act, the more likely you'll be noticed by production companies."
"Okay, I'll listen to you!"
…………
On the other side.
Li Jianqun shared a room with Zhou Jie, but they didn't talk much, maintaining a polite distance.
Zhou Jie had a bit of a temper.
Later, Jin Xing would even吐槽 her, but since she's no longer with us, let's not dwell on that...
Li Jianqun lay in bed, still feeling lost.
Should she go to the Lanzhou Military Region after finishing this drama, or continue down this path? She used to study dance but switched to art after an injury.
Performing on stage had always been her dream.
But what if, after *Judge Bao*, no other roles came her way, or no studio wanted her?
Not having a stable job in those days was terrifying!
She tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and thought back to the dinner.
She couldn't help but smile.
Who would've thought Xiao Ying's famous sister would be so kind...
As for painting, well, she was decent among amateurs.
She didn't have any oil paintings with her, but she carried a sketchbook.
Maybe she'd show it to Sister Gong Xue sometime.
She felt they had really hit it off.
(End of Chapter)